Congratulations, 2024 scholarships and awards winners! We are very proud of your achievements. You have shown us all the benefits of setting goals, hard work and excellence. We wish you the best as you move through your academic life. Click the link to see a PDF of the award booklet.
Oct. 22, 2024 | Pamela Hadley
Dear students, faculty, alumni, and friends of the Department of Speech and Hearing Science,
As we embrace the vibrant colors of fall on campus, I am thrilled to welcome you to the latest edition of our departmental newsletter. It is a pleasure to share news of recent accomplishments and to offer a glimpse into the exciting developments on our horizon.
Our efforts to advance the field of communication sciences and disorders grow more impactful each year. In this edition, we highlight the inspiring stories of our faculty, students and alumni who are making significant strides in different areas. Additionally, we are proud to announce that the Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology Clinic is now Medicare certified. This enables the clinic to serve an even broader segment of our population, particularly older adults and those with disabilities, to ensure that everyone has access to the services they need.
I encourage you to delve into the newsletter, celebrate our collective achievements, and imagine the boundless opportunities that lie ahead. Together, we will keep pushing the boundaries of research, supporting individuals with communication challenges, and shaping the future of communication sciences and disorders.
Finally, I extend my deepest gratitude to our SHS faculty, staff, and students for your unwavering dedication. Your hard work and enthusiasm are the foundation of our success and drive us forward.
Wishing you all a wonderful and inspiring fall season.
Sincerely,
Pamela Hadley, Ph.D.
Professor and Head
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Congratulations to the recipients of 2024 scholarships and awards. The undergraduate and graduate students recognized within these pages have shown outstanding dedication and creativity in the pursuit of their personal and professional goals. We are very proud of your achievements. Click the link to read the PDF program.
Hello, members of the Kinesiology and Community Health family,
As we wrap up the academic year, I am delighted to present the latest—and final—edition of the Kinesiology and Community Health newsletter. I say final because, as you all know, the department will officially be known as the Department of Health and Kinesiology as of July 1. We have a lot to be proud of from this past year, and a lot to look forward to.
Within these pages, you will read more about our historic name change, delve into the captivating research endeavors our faculty is pursuing, and we’ll showcase the achievements of some of our outstanding students. Their commitment to academic excellence and their steadfast dedication to cultivating healthier communities are truly admirable.
In conclusion, I urge you to immerse yourselves in the spring 2024 Kinesiology and Community Health newsletter, drawing inspiration from its contents, and persistently embodying the ethos of well-being and community in all your endeavors.
Here’s to a fruitful and invigorating summer.
Warm regards,
Kim Graber
Head, Department of Kinesiology and Community Health
Congratulations to the recipients of 2024 scholarships and awards. The undergraduate and graduate students recognized within these pages have shown outstanding dedication and creativity in the pursuit of their personal and professional goals. We are very proud of your achievements. Click the link to read the PDF program.
Oct. 21, 2024 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo
RST Associate Professor Toni Liechty was inducted earlier this year as a fellow in The Academy of Leisure Sciences.
The criteria for earning the distinction highlight not only Liechty’s performance as a teacher, leader, administrator, practitioner and researcher but also her dedication to the advancement of the leisure sciences.
The TALS fellowship is a testament to Liechty’s commitment and contributions to the field. Her demonstrated leadership, notable contributions to leisure literature, and significant involvement in professional associations have set her apart as a trailblazer.
Founded in 1980, TALS holds as its purpose “the intellectual advancement of leisure sciences.”
Fellows are outstanding scholars elected through a rigorous process within the academy to carry the purpose, based on at least 10 years of demonstrated competence in quality and quantity of scholarly literature contributions, leadership and participation in professional associations, and outstanding performance as professional in the field of leisure.
“It’s a real honor to be recognized by scholars who I have looked to as role models and mentors,” Liechty said. “I appreciate all the support from my research collaborators and my colleagues.”
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Oct. 23, 2023 | Bruce Adams
Rural and nature-based tourism is one of the fastest-growing segments in the tourism industry, and the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism wants to be at the forefront of efforts to develop it further.
Rural and nature-based tourism is one of the fastest-growing segments in the tourism industry, and the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism in the College of Applied Health Sciences at Illinois wants to be at the forefront of helping develop it.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimated the U.S. outdoor recreation economy accounted for $374 billion of gross domestic product in 2020. A survey of tourists from eight Midwest states—including Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee and Wisconsin—revealed that Illinois was their No. 1 destination.
The I-Rural project, funded by Illinois Extension and the University of Illinois’ Office of the Provost Investment for Growth Program, was launched in 2022 to develop a model that will guide rural tourism development across the state. Illinois Extension and RST have partnered to help rural communities create strategies for capturing a piece of the fast-growing tourism industry. The river-based communities of Grafton, Havana, Savanna and Galena are piloting the project.
In the project’s first phase, interactive workshops were held with local leaders and business owners at the four pilot sites, followed by stakeholder interviews in Phase 2 and the development of a survey to understand rural tourist motivations and preferences in Phase 3.
RST Assistant Professors Joelle Soulard and Sharon Zou said that “throughout the project, we made multiple visits to communities. During these visits, we met and connected with local government staff, business owners, public land managers, nonprofit staff and residents.”
Executive reports and webinars were held to share the findings and access to the I-Rural Toolkit, which showcased strategies to develop rural tourism and grant-funding opportunities.
Building new relationships between RST faculty and Extension staff was critical to the project. The relationships Extension built in the communities enhanced the ability of RST researchers to gather data. This year, I-Rural is seeing RST research converted into relevant, actionable plans in rural communities throughout Illinois, Soulard and Zou said.
“We presented our project to Illinois Extension’s Local Government Education webinar series,” the RST faculty members said. “More than 65 local officials and community leaders attended. Student engagement was an important part of the project. We had undergraduate and graduate students who participated in all aspects of research. We published a series of articles in tourism management journals based on this research, and the citation index for these articles is rapidly growing, showing how Illinois is a leader in advancing the literature in this area.”
Jennifer Russell, the University of Illinois Extension Community & Economic Development educator working in the region, said that local leaders are attending events to learn about regional tourism and growth in the industry, and communities are applying for Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development grants to upgrade local resources such as a community pool, downtown riverfronts and docks.
“Communities are exploring opportunities to host new tourists because of an increase in cruise ships docking nearby,” Russell said, “while also marketing local assets like wildlife viewing, hiking, camping, orchards, mushroom hunting, road trips, zipline, ski-lift, alpine coaster, specialty markets and more.”
Grafton is continuing to work on tourism-related projects, she said. Aerie’s Resort recently opened an alpine coaster, and the mayor’s office is heading up a Veteran-themed art installation and a ferry study to improve transportation infrastructure for residents and Missouri tourists crossing the Mississippi River.
Richard Proffer, Illinois Extension community and economic development educator for Mason County, said that there was “a lot of excitement” on the part of businesses and residents invested in their community in Havana who didn’t know how to implement tourism strategies.
After reviewing studies of visitors, a group was formed to activate programs. Natural tourism is a draw for Havana and the county, with visitors from Chicagoland coming for stargazing and 2,000 attendees at the Eagle Days festivals in February, considered an optimal time for people to see the majestic birds. Bed and breakfast bookings increased in the area, and survey responses from tourists prompted the establishment of a restaurant serving breakfast, Proffer said.
Zou and Soulard said they are in the final stage and wrapping up the project, but stressed that much work remains to be done.
“We are trying to visit the communities to share our findings that are relevant and helpful for their tourism development,” the researchers said. “We will present the project to the National Extension Tourism conference in Milwaukee, and we are hoping to connect with extension [groups] from across the country and seek ways to expand the project to a regional one. We would also like to dive into agritourism sector, and we are currently collaborating with folks at the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics.”
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Oct. 23, 2023 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo
Meaghan McKenna joined the faculty of the Department of Speech and Hearing Science in the fall of 2023. McKenna’s research focuses on engaging in collaborative partnerships to solve educational problems of practice. Find out more about her below.
Q: Who or what influenced you to go into research or academia?
A: I have always been interested in implementation of evidence-based practices in educational settings. The summer before my senior year of college, I joined the team at the Shafer Center for Early Intervention [in Maryland]. One of my job responsibilities was attending summer camp with a child to support his interactions with peers. I observed that his expression language output was always highest during movement-based activities. The following year I conducted my first research study at the Shafer Center with Dr. Janet Preis to answer each of the research questions I generated. When working as a speech-language pathologist in educational and private practice settings, I engaged in ongoing data collection to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. I also served as a member of interprofessional teams in school-based and medical settings where we engaged in ongoing data-based decision-making to inform tiered instructional plans/comprehensive plans of care for children. In 2016, I was encouraged to return back to the university setting to pursue an educational leadership certification and the professor of my first course at the University of South Florida, Dr. Steve Permuth, asked me to meet with him after reading my first assignment. During this meeting he encouraged me to consider a doctorate degree. He also involved me in educational policy research and writing. The following semester [spring 2017] I enrolled in educational leadership doctoral coursework. However, I soon sought mentorship in the investigation of multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS). I began meeting with Drs. Jose Castillo and Howard Goldstein in the summer of 2017 and they each invited me to become part of research projects they led. I realized that completing the doctorate degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders was best for me while continuing to collaborate with the College of Education. I continued working in Hillsborough County [Fla.] Public Schools for the entirety of my doctoral studies and my colleagues helped me realize that all of our collaborations addressing MTSS and early elementary writing could shape my research agenda. I was able to form instantaneous research partnerships because the foundation of trust was already established. All that needed to change was a more rigorous approach to evaluating the work we were already doing.
Q: What led you to study speech-language pathology?
A: I completed observations in a variety of work settings before declaring my major. When I went to observe a speech-language pathologist in a school-based setting I was intrigued by the diversity of her caseload. I also enjoyed learning about the different options for service delivery. It was exciting to watch how effectively the SLP collaborated with administration, general education teachers, special education teachers and related service providers. I became interested in all of the possibilities within this field. I also had opportunities for different service learning experiences with adults and children while attending Loyola University in Maryland as an undergraduate. All of these experiences along with the exceptional mentorship I received from Dr. Lisa Schoenbrodt and Dr. Janet Preis while completing my undergraduate coursework in the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences solidified my decision.
Q: Did you always want to teach?
A: I realized the importance of providing high quality learning experiences to the future of the field while serving as a speech-language externship supervisor and providing professional development to different groups of educators in Hillsborough County Schools. Teaching allows me to impact generations of future speech-language pathologists, general and special educators and healthcare professionals who can in turn influence more people than I can reach through my individual efforts. I hope to pass on the legacy of the wonderful professors and mentors who I have learned from, and encourage students to be lifelong learners.
Q: What led you to Illinois?
A: The tenure-track position at Illinois in educational speech-language pathology was a perfect match for my skills and interests. Beginning my career as a school-based speech-language pathologist allowed for identification of problems of practice, a desire to equip myself with the skills to investigate under-researched areas and an understanding of the importance of engaging practitioners. My entire research agenda is influenced by my experiences as an educational SLP. The Speech and Hearing Science Department embraces implementation science and recognizes the value of translation of research into authentic practice settings. I knew this institution was the ideal environment to continue learning, growing and accomplishing my career objectives.
Q: What is your primary area of research?
A: My objective is to engage in ongoing communication, collaboration and continuous problem-solving in partnership with early childhood centers and school districts to drive system-wide change and continuous quality improvement. My overriding research aim is to optimize the success of educators and students, especially in preschool and early elementary grade levels. This has led to a variety of opportunities to join large teams investigating components of a multi-tiered system of supports framework. My primary area of focus is early elementary writing in kindergarten through second grade. I study assessment, data-based decision-making, tiered instruction and professional development.
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Oct. 23, 2023 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo
Three faculty members from the Department of Speech and Hearing Science earned promotions and tenure prior to the fall 2023 semester. SHS congratulates Raksha Mudar, Brian Monson and Pasquale Bottalico for their well-earned promotions.
Raksha Mudar, who joined the faculty of the Department of Speech and Hearing Science in 2011, was promoted to full professor in 2023. Mudar, who earned her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Dallas, is the director of the Aging and Neurocognition Lab.
Mudar investigates the effects of normal cognitive aging and brain diseases including mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia on higher order semantic functions. She uses a combination of behavioral methods, event-related potentials and functional magnetic resonance imaging in her research.
“I am deeply honored to be promoted to full professor at such an esteemed institution of higher education and research,” Mudar said. “My path to full has been very rewarding. I chose academia because both research and teaching bring so much joy to me. Looking back, I know I chose right, and am excited for what lies ahead.”
Mudar was elected as a fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association at the ASHA Convention 2022—one of the highest forms of recognition given by ASHA. Mudar has been involved in several federally funded grants and is currently the primary investigator on an R01 titled “Digital Technology to Support Adherence to Hypertension Medications for Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment.”
Brian Monson, who joined the faculty of the Department of Speech and Hearing Science in 2017, was promoted to associate professor in 2023. Monson, who received his Ph.D. from the University of Arizona, is the director of the Auditory Neuro Experience Lab. His field of research is in auditory neuroscience.
Monson holds degrees in electrical engineering, acoustics and speech/language/hearing science, with further specialization in neuroscience and music. With this background, he takes an interdisciplinary approach to auditory research, interfacing with clinicians, scientists, engineers and musicians. His research interests center around auditory neurodevelopment and speech/voice perception.
Monson is the principal investigator on an R01 grant from NIH-NIDCD for his project titled, “The ecological significance of extended high-frequency hearing in humans,” and the PI on an R21 from the NIH-NIDCD as well as the co-PI on another R21.
“I’m quite honored to become a tenured faculty member at such a reputable institution as the University of Illinois,” Monson said. “I very much look forward to continuing to serve our students and our community with my colleagues in Speech and Hearing Science and in Applied Health Sciences.”
Pasquale Bottalico, who joined the faculty of the Department of Speech and Hearing Science in 2017, was promoted to associate professor in 2023. Bottalico earned his bachelor’s degree in telecommunications engineering from Univeristà Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria (Italy), while simultaneously pursuing a degree in opera singing at the F. Cilea Music Academy of Reggio Calabria (Italy).
In 2005, he moved to Turin where he earned his master’s degree in telecommunications engineering from Politecnico di Torino (Italy). Bottalico earned his Ph.D. in metrology, studying acoustics with particular attention to the uncertainty of measurements and statistical analysis of data. Bottalico is particularly interested in the professional voice user and singer techniques, as well as the definition and the quantification of vocal load. Other fields he is interested in are speech intelligibility, room acoustics and musical acoustics.
Bottalico is also a professional chorister, having performed under such prestigious directors as Rafael Frühbeck De Burgos, Yuri Ahronovitch, Jeffrey Tate, Juanio Mena, Gianandrea Noseda, Ottavio Dantone, Wayne Marshall, Helmuth Rilling, Christopher Hogwood, Robert King and Ivor Bolton.
“Attaining tenure and rising to the role of associate professor is a profound validation of my dedication to enlightening minds, pushing the boundaries of knowledge and contributing to the ever-evolving academic landscape,” Bottalico said. “It signifies not just personal achievement but the faith others place in my ability to continually inspire students and illuminate the paths of intellectual exploration.”
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Oct. 23, 2023 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo
Rabel Lohana joined the Department of Speech and Hearing Science this fall as the first practice manager for the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Clinic. Find out more about her career and life journey below.
Q: You are from Pakistan, and worked to provide medical care there. How did you end up in Indiana? What made you want to come to the United States?
A: A better career is what drove us to leave our home country and relocate to the United States. The job chances in the United States are superior to those available to immigrants at home. Regardless of color, ethnicity, or religious beliefs, the United States appears to be one of the safest countries to live and provide equal opportunities to all. There are many educational possibilities for those who desire to further their education because the United States has so many universities and it turned out to be so beneficial for me, when I decided to pursue an MBA at (Indiana University).
Q: You have a variety of skills, including practicing as a physician. How and why did you make the decision to pivot to an MBA and work on healthcare business aspects?
A: Patient care is only one aspect of working in the healthcare industry. Healthcare professionals that are focused on patient care may be unaware of the business aspects of the healthcare industry. But how hospitals and other healthcare institutions and organizations run their operations depends heavily on this business aspect. That excited me when I worked as a medical administrator in Pakistan. Making sure these institutions and groups function efficiently on a daily basis can help guarantee that patients can access and receive high-quality medical care. Keeping institutions and organizations in good standing generally is essential for their continued operation, and healthcare management is a key component.
Q: What have you noticed is different about medical care in the U.S. than Pakistan?
A: A healthcare system is one of the most essential pillars of any country. The primary role of a healthcare system is to ensure that all people get the best available health facilities in a timely, acceptable, affordable and accessible manner. However, for a healthcare system to function as such, it requires proper infrastructure and financial support. To a large extent, the healthcare system in Pakistan is facing several challenges. There is a massive shortage of hospitals, doctors, nurses and paramedical staff. Most life-saving medications are too expensive for people to afford. Above all, there exists a lack of trust in the healthcare system, which gives way to the ever-increasing quackery in the country. In contrast, in the U.S., patients’ lives and needs come before the expense of receiving care, universal access to healthcare for the poor and the desperate. Along with that, the U.S. invests a lot of money promoting new, innovative health concepts for the wellbeing of its citizens, which benefits not only Americans but also the rest of the world.
Q: What made you decide to choose Illinois to work and live?
A: I’ve always wanted to work for an institution that will not only support my professional growth but also for the prosperity of students and the community. And, as I was looking for work, I discovered that the University of Illinois not only had that, but also an extraordinary team of people that not just support the university’s mission, but also the people who work here.
Q: How did you make the decision to work for the Dept. of Speech and Hearing Science? What about the job was interesting to you?
A: Having a background in medicine and business experience in the healthcare industry, I immediately knew this job at SHS was suited for me when I learned about it. I was seeking a combination of the operational side of the business and collaboration with other institutions to extend the vision and organizing outreach activities for the education of the community, and how they may benefit from the clinic services, and this job has it all.
Q: The Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Clinic has never had a business manager. What changes do you anticipate making to help the clinic be more visible and successful?
A: As the clinic’s business manager, it is my goal to implement as many outreach programs as possible for the community’s good that will not only draw in more patients but also spread the word that students can enroll in our well-rounded curriculum. I believe the clinic has a lot of potential, and some of its aspects are still untapped, therefore I’d be interested in exploring those possibilities, in order to build a prosperous and well-known clinic in the community. I do see myself as a representative of our outstanding clinical faculty and staff, assisting them in overcoming obstacles so they can give patients good treatment and give students uninterrupted time and attention.
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